Chocolate could PREVENT diabetes: Cocoa releases insulin

Chocolate could prevent diabetes, new research suggests.

A compound in cocoa, known as epicatechin monomers, enhances the secretion of insulin from specific cells, a study found.

The compound also reduces obesity and increases animals' ability to cope with high blood glucose levels, the research adds.

Although the study was only conducted in animals, the researchers add humans may require large quantities of the compound in order to benefit.

Study author Professor Jeffery Tessem from Brigham Young University (BYU), said 'You probably have to eat a lot of cocoa, and you probably don't want it to have a lot of sugar in it. It's the compound in cocoa you're after.'

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